Promoted through the junior ranks at Melbourne to play two senior matches in 1972, but moved to Canberra in 1973 as part of his employment and was lost to VFL football.

Harrold joined Eastlake in the ACTFL, and after an initial complaint on residential grounds from Ainslie he managed to win a clearance. He joined West Canberra in 1975, where he won three best and fairest awards before signing with Queanbeyan as a playing assistant in 1983, where he remained through 1988.

During his career in the ACT he played for the territory's representative side more than 15 times.